It’s Mid-Major Madness!!  The bubble is super soft at the moment so we have 3 mid-major teams grabbing at large bids in this update plus Lipscomb vaulted up to a 9 seed after their impressive road win @ Liberty. 

Let’s talk about the B1G for a moment.  I still have 10 B1G teams in the field but Indiana and Nebraska are trending in the wrong direction plus Minnesota and Ohio St, while still solidly in the field, are hardly locks if they see a downturn.  At one point I thought 9 teams would easily get in, now 7 seems like a “lock”  Things can go bad really fast in a tough conference, especially if the injury bug hits. Right now I would set the number at 8 B1G teams ultimately making the tournament with Nebraska and Indiana on the outside looking in.

http://www.bracketmatrix.com

East

1 Duke
16 Sam Houston St/Norfolk St

8 TCU
9 Ohio St

5 Virginia Tech
12 San Francisco/Utah St

4 Texas Tech
13 New Mexico St

6 Buffalo
11 Indiana

3 Houston
14 S Dakota St

7 NC State
10 Washington

2 Kansas
15 Loyola Chicago

West

1 Michigan
16 Rider

8 Baylor
9 Lipscomb

5 Iowa St
12 Florida/UNC Greensboro

4 Louisville
13 VCU

6 Villanova
11 Alabama

3 Wisconsin
14 N Kentucky

7 Mississippi St
10 Minnesota

2 North Carolina
15 Radford

South

1 Virginia
16 Bucknell

8 Mississippi
9 Nebraska

5 LSU
12 Murray St

4 Marquette
13 Yale

6 Oklahoma
11 St John’s

3 Purdue
14 Texas St

7 Florida St
10 Texas

2 Kentucky
15 UC Irvine

Midwest

1 Michigan St
16 Prairie View/Robert Morris

8 Kansas St
9 Auburn

5 Nevada
12 Hofstra

4 Maryland
13 Vermont

6 Iowa
11 Wofford

3 Gonzaga
14 N Texas

7 Cincinnati
10 Syracuse

2 Tennessee
15 Montana

First 4 Out

UCF
Creighton
Temple
Seton Hall

Next 4 Out

Clemson
Arizona St
Butler
Belmont

The Baylor Bears, once left for dead after early season losses to Texas Southern, Wichita St, and SFA, have risen from the dead like Lazarus.  Baylor, once a longshot at making any sort of postseason, has rallied gallantly to secure a solid spot in the field of 68.

Speaking of miracles, the Drake Bulldogs make their first appearance in the projected field this year under 1st year coach Darian Devries.  The MVC looks to be a two team race this year and right now the edge goes to the Bulldogs who are looking to make their first tournament appearance since the 2007-2008 season when Adam Emmenecker, now famous for this beast https://jethrosdesmoines.com/the-adam-emmenecker-challenge/ lost a heartbreaking opening round game to the WKU Hilltoppers.


http://www.bracketmatrix.com

East

1 Duke
16 Sam Houston St/Norfolk St

8 Baylor
9 Nebraska

5 Villanova
12 Hofstra

4 Wisconsin
13 Yale

6 Nevada
11 Florida/Utah St

3 Houston
14 Texas St

7 Cincinnati
10 Indiana

2 Kentucky
15 Radford

West

1 Virginia
16 Rider

8 St John’s
9 Ohio St

5 LSU
12 NC Greensboro/Temple

4 Louisville
13 Vermont

6 Oklahoma
11 Alabama

3 Gonzaga
14 S Dakota St

7 Buffalo
10 Auburn

2 Kansas
15 Drake

South

1 Michigan
16 Bucknell

8 Mississippi
9 TCU

5 Maryland
12 Murray St

4 Texas Tech
13 VCU

6 Mississippi St
11 Syracuse

3 Purdue
14 N Kentucky

7 Florida St
10 Wofford

2 Tennessee
15 Montana

Midwest

1 Michigan St
16 Prairie View/Robert Morris

8 NC State
9 Washington

5 Virginia Tech
12 Lipscomb

4 Iowa St
13 New Mexico St

6 Iowa
11 Texas

3 Marquette
14 N Texas

7 Kansas St
10 Minnesota

2 North Carolina
15 UC Irvine

First 4 Out

UCF
San Francisco
Seton Hall
Arizona St

Next 4 Out

Creighton
Furman
Clemson
Butler

Teams of the week:

Purdue dominated Ohio St on the road and beat my #1 overall seed Michigan St by 10 at home.  That moved Purdue up from a 6 to a 3 seed. Purdue will be a very dangerous team come March, especially if they can find a reliable third scorer to compliment Edwards and Cline.  A lead guard like Edwards can carry a team a long ways in the tournament. 

Iowa St lost a tough one at Kansas before bouncing back with a dominating Q1 win at Mississippi.  Iowa St is really rounding into shape with players coming back from injuries/suspension.  Shayock is a candidate for Big 12 POY honors but don’t overlook Haliburton, the most efficient Freshman in college basketball. They are my pick to win the Big 12 this year.  They move up to a 4 seed this week, last week they were at 7.

http://www.bracketmatrix.com

East

1 Duke
16 Prairie View/Robert Morris

8 Mississippi
9 Ohio St

5 Virginia Tech
12 Hofstra

4 Oklahoma
13 Yale

6 Iowa
11 Florida/Temple

3 Gonzaga
14 N Texas

7 Kansas St
10 Alabama

2 Kentucky
15 Radford

West

1 Virginia
16 Rider

8 Nebraska
9 Washington

5 Villanova
12 Lipscomb

4 Louisville
13 New Mexico St

6 Nevada
11 Syracuse 

3 Houston
14 N Kentucky

7 Buffalo
10 Indiana

2 Kansas
15 Montana

South

1 Michigan
16 Sam Houston St/Norfolk St

8 NC State
9 Auburn

5 Maryland
12 Utah St/NC Greensboro

4 Iowa St
13 VCU

6 Texas Tech
11 St John’s

3 Purdue
14 Texas St

7 Florida St
10 Texas

2 Tennessee
15 UC Irvine

Midwest

1 Michigan St
16 Bucknell

8 Cincinnati
9 Wofford

5 LSU
12 Murray St

4 Wisconsin
13 Vermont

6 Mississippi St
11 Baylor

3 Marquette
14 S Dakota St

7 TCU
10 Minnesota

2 North Carolina
15 Loyola Chicago

First 4 Out

Seton Hall
UCF
San Francisco
Arizona St

Next 4 Out

Creighton
Furman
Butler
Clemson

This update is through games played on 01/25/2019

http://www.bracketmatrix.com

South

1 Duke

16 Sam Houston St/Prairie View A&M

8 TCU

9 Cincinnati

5 Oklahoma

12 Lipscomb

4 Wisconsin

13 Yale

6 Virginia Tech

11 Florida/Seton Hall

3 Houston

14 Texas St

7 Florida St

10 St John’s

2 Tennessee

15 Loyola Chicago

West

1 Kansas

16 Rider

8 Mississippi

9 Indiana

5 LSU

12 Murray St

4 Purdue

13 VCU

6 Villanova

11 Ohio St

3 Kentucky

14 Northern Kentucky

7 Kansas St

10 Washington

2 Virginia

15 Montana

South

1 Michigan St

16 Norfolk St/Robert Morris

8 Auburn

9 Texas

5 Nevada

12 Minnesota/Baylor

4 Louisville

13 New Mexico St

6 Buffalo

11 San Francisco

3 Marquette

14 Vermont

7 Mississippi St

10 Syracuse

2 Gonzaga

15 UC Irvine

Last 4 out

Utah St

Temple

Arizona

Creighton

Next 4 out

Arizona St

Butler

Clemson

Northwestern

This update is through games played on 01/20/2019.  I will be posting an update every Monday and Friday as the season progresses. 

http://www.bracketmatrix.com

East

1 Duke

16 Sam Houston St/Prairie View A&M

8 Kansas St

9 Cincinnati

5 LSU

12 Lipscomb

4 Wisconsin

13 Yale

6 Nevada

11 Seton Hall

3 Kentucky

14 Radford

7 Villanova

10 Syracuse

2 Gonzaga

15 UC Irvine

West

1 Michigan

16 Bucknell

8 NC State

9 Texas

5 Louisville

12 Minnesota/Arizona

4 Marquette

13 Vermont

6 Nebraska

11 San Francisco

3 Houston

14 Texas St

7 Mississippi

10 Ohio St

2 Kansas

15 S Dakota St

South

1 Virginia

16 Rider

8 Indiana

9 Wofford

5 Virginia Tech

12 VCU

4 Iowa

13 New Mexico St

6 Oklahoma

11 UCF

3 Maryland

14 Loyola Chicago

7 Iowa St

10 St John’s

2 Tennessee

15 N Kentucky

Midwest

1 Michigan St

16 Norfolk St/Robert Morris

8 Florida St

9 TCU

5 Mississippi St

12 Murray St

4 Buffalo

13 Hofstra

6 Purdue

11 Florida/Butler

3 Texas Tech

14 N Texas

7 Auburn

10 Washington

2 North Carolina

15 Montana

First 4 Out

Alabama

Utah St

Temple

Baylor

Next 4 Out

Clemson

Arizona St

Oregon

Fresno St